“You didn’t tell me you’d been shot!”

All she’d had to say was that she needed his help, and Connor had been pulling into the parking lot in less than five minutes. Scott had sat and waited with her, but thankfully hadn’t pushed the point or insisted that they go inside the station. He’d hovered behind her, his gaze roaming their surroundings constantly as he’d helped her grab her crap from the car before making their way over to sit. Being outside in the open air had made Scarlett increasingly twitchy, but fortunately Connor had arrived before she’d lost it entirely.

She’d let out a gush of air at the sight of him, as if her body realized it could finally let go. Her arm throbbed anew as she stood and walked over to his truck. He and Scott had exchanged nods as she’d tried—badly—to suppress a wince as she climbed in. It must have been the day for miracles, because Connor said nothing, simply climbed behind the wheel and drove away. He could obviously read her better than she’d given him credit for, though, because as soon as he’d put a few blocks between them and the station, he’d wrenched the wheel to pull to the side of the road and then turned to face her, his hand going immediately to the tear in the jacket. When his fingers came away red, his face turned thunderous. “What the hell happened?”

“I’m fine,” she said hurriedly, and Connor set his jaw.

“Scarlett, you couldn’t wait to get the hell out of there. It was written all over your face, and now you’re bleeding in my truck. You are not fine.”

She shrugged, pushing away the nerves that skittered back to the surface at his words. He wasn’t angry with her, she knew that, but somehow the fact she’d been hurt incensed him. Just an hour ago, all she’d wanted was another chance to be normal with him, to go on a date, hell even kiss him again without all the baggage she’d been dragging around in the way. Why the universe had decided to fuck with her and bury her under a whole new pile of shit was beyond her. She shifted and her arm burned, reminding her that normal probably wasn’t going to come with Connor, at least until this case was solved.

Even as she sat beside him in his truck, one hand gripped over her arm in an attempt to not drip on the upholstery and watching Connor’s hands grip the wheel so hard it looked like he might snap it off, her mind was still spinning with details of the case. “Do you think this was intentional?”

Connor glanced over at her, eyebrows slashed downward. “No, someone was hunting deer in the middle of a parking lot, and you accidentally got in the way. Of course it was intentional!”

Scarlett’s eyebrows rose at his words and Connor huffed out a harsh breath. One of his hands finally let go of the death grip he had on the steering wheel, and he pushed his fingers through his hair. He looked over at her again, his expression calmer this time. “Shit, Scarlett. I’m sorry.” Another deep breath. “Just the thought of you . . . Jesus Christ, when I got there tonight and saw you were hurt . . .” His hand reached down to shift gears, and Connor seemed to take the few seconds to gather his thoughts. “For the first time, I understood what you meant, about not wanting to date another first responder. The idea that someone’s out there hunting you.” She opened her mouth to reply, but Connor silenced her by reaching over and resting a hand on her thigh, her free hand still wrapped around the wound on her arm. “The difference is, Scarlett, that I can’t. I can’t walk away from this. Friends or lovers, I have to do what I can to keep you safe. I can’t just let you go.”

A warmth that had nothing to do with her injury rushed through her. She’d been so afraid she’d lost him. Even when she’d called him, she’d half expected him to show up and just take her to the nearest ER. Connor would always be her friend, she didn’t doubt that, but a part of her had worried that she’d pushed him away too many times for him to anything else.

She smiled to herself. She should have known that a man of Connor’s supreme stubbornness wouldn’t give up nearly that easily. She sent up a small prayer of thanks to the universe. She wasn’t exactly the easiest person to be in a relationship with. Hell, even before all the crap of the last few years. She was stubborn, too, headstrong, and spent her days deliberately placing herself in danger to keep other people safe. It was something that many of the men she’d dated before she’d been married couldn’t handle.

Derek had been different. He’d understood, hell even encouraged her to follow her dreams. He’d never stood in her way, and at night he’d been there to listen—whether to tell him a funny story about the local drunk they’d picked up or to cry all over him when she’d hadn’t been able to save a child. He’d walked that thin blue line every day, too, and he got it like no one else had.

The thought struck her still. Scarlett’s head dropped back to the seat at the revelation, and she shut her eyes. How had she been so stupid! She’d spent this entire time pushing Connor away, sure that he could never be what she needed, when he was exactly what she did. If the events of that night had shown her anything, it was that safe wasn’t in her job description—literally. She was never going to be the soccer mom. She needed to be in the thick of the action, helping people and putting away the bad guys. Connor would never stand in her way, or expect her to be anything different than exactly who she was.

She didn’t realize that the car had stopped again until she felt a touch on her chin. “Hey,” Connor’s voice was quiet, and so close she could feel his breath moving over her skin as she spoke. “You okay?” Scarlett opened her eyes to find his green ones staring back in concern. He let out a breath when her gaze locked onto his before letting his roam back down to her arm. He gently pried her fingers away, pushing apart the now-ruined leather. “Shit. I need to get you to a doctor.”

She moved her hand over to his, cringing when she left bloody fingerprints on the back of his hand, but he didn’t pull away. “I’m fine, Connor, really. It’s just a graze.” He huffed and she smiled. “If I go to the hospital, then I’m going to have to get clearance before I can go back on duty, and there’s no way in hell I’m giving anyone a single chance to bench me.” She looked at him, capturing his gaze again. Indecision swirled in his eyes. Scarlett took a deep breath. Here went nothing. “Ever since that night, everyone’s treated me with kid gloves. Oh, they say all the right things, but no one’s ever treated me like they did before. I’m no more special than any one of them, and yet they’d all be perfectly happy to let me sit this one out.” She took in a deep breath. “You’re the first one in years to make me feel normal again, to make me feel wanted. God, Connor, that morning.” Her eyes fluttered closed. Connor’s hand tightened just a touch against her arm, and she opened her eyes again before the poor guy thought she’d passed out in his car. “I want that. I want you. I’m sorry it took me so long to realize it.”

Connor’s face broke out in a grin, and before she could move, he leaned forward and captured her lips, his hand brushing up against her cheek before locking in place behind her head, supporting her and holding her close as his tongue dipped inside her mouth, thrusting against hers as he tasted her. She let out a small moan, and he jumped back, worry covering his face as his hands went back to her upper arm. “Shit! Did I hurt you?”

Scarlett responded with the first thing that came into her mind. She leaned forward and took his mouth, licking over his bottom lip. It was Connor’s turn to groan. Their lips moved together slowly, as if they were new lovers all over again. In a way, she supposed they were. Their first time together had been frantic, a whirlwind of passion and energy. This time, she wanted to take her time. To explore his entire body and find every sensitive spot, before riding him to ecstasy.

She grinned against his lips. “I’m good.” Finally breaking the kiss, she sat back, wincing a little as she noticed the burn in her arm at the movement. She hadn’t been lying when she’d said it wasn’t anything serious, but it did need some attention. She’d wash and dress it, and then take advantage of needing to remove her ruined clothing with something more fun.

Scarlett reached over and took Connor’s hand in hers. “Take me home.”